Sock drier



DCC. 2 1952 T M DUFF ETAL 2,620,100

SOCK DRIER Original Filed Jan. 7, 1948 7% INVENTOR @U/ 9, Wg@ fi ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1952 SOCK DRIER Thomas M. Duif, Montgomery County, Md., and Paul E. Whittington, Arlington County, Va.

Original application January 7, 1948, Serial No. 972. Divided and this application September 13, 1949, Serial No. 115,523

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 972, led January '7, 1948, now Patent No. 2,487,046, dated November 8, 1949.

This invention relates to sock driers of the general type comprising a housing or container for the socks and means for maintaining a circulation `of heated air about the interior of the container and the socks suspended therein.

A primary object of the invention consists in providing a hose or sock support of novel construction which may be suitably mounted in a drying chamber.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a hose suport which may be readily and simply adjusted to neatly accommodate hose of various sizes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through one form of sock drier;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of one of the hosiery forms; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View of one of the hosiery forms of Figure 2, showing its innermost adjustment.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the drier is mounted on a stand I comprising a plurality of legs 2 and a top 3.

Spaced below the top of the stand or base I and within the area defined by the legs 2 is a fan or other type of blower 5, surrounded by a ue 5', for circulating the heat generated in a heater E which is suspended below the top of the base I by hangers 'I. Any preferred heating medium may be employed in the heater 6.

Mounted upon the top of the base I is the drying chamber comprising a bottom 8, back wall 3, side walls I0, top II and an open front provided with a closure I2. The bottom 8 of the drying chamber is provided with a longitudinal opening I3 for the passage of heated air driven across the heater 6 by the blower 5. Other details of the drying chamber are described more fully in the above-identied patent.

Pivotally mounted within the drying chamber on the bottom wall 8 thereof, as indicated by the numeral Il, are a plurality of hosiery supports 33. One of these supports is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3 and comprises a vertical metal plate 3U provided with a bend 3I located at approximately the point where the heel 0f the sock to be dried will be located. On the front edge of the plate 30 is a sheet metal form 32 extending along substantially the entire length of the plate 30 and also along the foot portion of the rear edge of the plate. This form 32 is corrugated or provided with reverse curves and is also preferably provided with perforations 33 to permit passage of the heating medium through the socks and to generally facilitate the drying of these articles.

Adjustably mounted on the lower portion of the metal plate 30 to represent the back of the leg portion and the heel portion of the sock is a form 34 also corrugated and perforated in the manner of the front form 32 and provided with a web 34. The connection between the web 34 and plate 3l) comprises two pairs of links 35 provided with slots 36 to receive bolts and wing nuts 3l. The links of each pair extend on opposite sides of the plate 3|] and are pivoted to the plate 30 and t0 the web 34' extending inwardly from the form 34. It will be obvious that by loosening the wing nuts 31 the rear form 34 may be moved toward or from the plate 30 and also upwardly and downwardly so as to not only vary the cross sectional area of the leg portion of the form but also to vary the length of the foot portion thereof. A handle 24 is secured to each of the hosiery supports for rocking it about its pivot I'I s0 as to carry the hose through one of the slots 25 formed in the closure I2.

In the operation of the particular form of the invention illustrated herein the heater 6 is first set in operation; and the circuit to the blower 5 is thereafter closed. The hosiery forms 30 are individually swung outwardly by means of the handles 24 and the socks or other wearing apparel placed over them, and they are then swung back through the slits 25 into the interior of the heating chamber. This operation is repeated with each of the forms 30 until the drier is fully charged, and at the proper time the forms first receiving the socks are again individually swung outwardly so that the dried socks or hose may be removed and replaced by other articles to be dried.

These operations, are, of course, repeated throughout the time the drier is in operation and due to the fact that the slits 25 will automatically close immediately after the particular drying form passes therethrough it will be apparent that loss of heat from the drying chamber 3 is practically eliminated or at least reduced to a minimum.

In compliance with the patent statutes we have described herein what We now consider to be the preferred form of the invention, but it is intended, of course, that various minor changes therein be included Within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a hosiery drier, a hosiery support comprising an elongated plate formed with a bend intermediate its ends toprovide a foot portion and a leg portion, a sheet metal form having a bend corresponding to that in the plate and secured to the front edge thereof, an extension on said form representing the toe and a major portion of the sole of a foot, a second sheet metal form bent to represent a back portion of a leg and the back of the heel of a foot, and a linkage con nection between said plate and said last-mentioned form, whereby the forms may be relatively adjusted to adapt them to hose of various sizes.

2. In a hosiery drier, a hosiery support cornprising an elongated plate formed with a bend intermediate its ends to provide a foot portion and a leg portion, a sheet metal form having a bend corresponding t0 that in the plate and secured to the front edge thereof, an extension on said form representing the toe and a major portion of the sole of a foot, a second sheet metal form bent to represent a back portion of a leg, and the back of the heel of a foot, a pair of spaced parallel links having their respective ends pivotally connected to said plate and said last-men- 4 tioned form, and threaded means for securing said links in adjusted positions, whereby the forms may be relatively adjusted to adapt them to hose of various sizes.

3. In a hosiery drier, a hosiery support comprising an elongated plate formed with a bend intermediate its ends to provide a foot portion and a leg portion, a sheet metal form having a bend corresponding to that in the plate and secured to the front edge thereof, an extension on said form representing the toe and a major portion of the sole of a foot, a second sheet metal form bent to represent a back portion of a leg and the back of the heel of a foot, a pair of spaced parallel links pivotally connecting said sheet metal forms, each link provided with at least one pin and slot connection at the pivot point, Whereby the forms may be relatively adjusted to adapt them to hose of various sizes.

THOMAS M. DU'F'F. PAUL E. WHITTINGTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 961,644 Pope et al June 14, 1910 1,284,738 McCarthy Nov. 12, 1918 1,998,820 Reeder Apr. 23, 1935 2,470,266 Richter May 17, 1949 2,487,046 Duff et al. Nov. 8, 1949 

